WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced its highest July temperature on July 31, with Wieselburg reaching 40.3 degrees Celsius. This surpassed the previous July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal in 1983. GeoSphere Austria verified the new monthly peak during a heatwave predominantly affecting eastern regions of the nation. The country’s absolute temperature record remains 40.5 degrees, measured at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
This July milestone followed a June characterized by widespread, prolonged extreme heat. According to GeoSphere Austria, new maximums were recorded at 157 of its 277 weather stations, with 66 stations also hitting their highest temperature for any month. Vienna experienced 40.0 degrees on June 28, and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg recorded 40.1 degrees the next day. Multiple low-altitude areas endured 10 to 14 consecutive days above 30 degrees.
The Wegener Center at the University of Graz estimated total socio-economic damages from the June and late July heatwaves at approximately €1.4 billion. This initial estimate accounts for health effects, lost productivity, agricultural damages, infrastructure stress, and increased cooling demands. It also considers impacts on ecosystems and public services. This figure does not represent an official government evaluation or insured loss total, as insurance data only covers damages under active policies.
Heatwave intensity surpasses previous Austrian records
The Wegener Center utilized area-degree days—a metric combining heat intensity, duration, and geographic spread—to measure the events. They calculated approximately 16,700 area-degree days for the June heatwave. The late July event is estimated between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s prior record was set during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which reached roughly 22,100 area-degree days across land below 1,500 meters elevation.
Corresponding extreme temperatures also led to a notable rise in heat-related fatalities. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety reported 395 such deaths in June 2026, marking the highest June total recorded since tracking began. Heat-related mortality reflects excess deaths during periods of high temperatures, without requiring heat to be the direct cause on each death certificate.
Severe rainfall deficit worsens Austria’s drought status
Following months of unusually dry conditions, Austria experienced this heatwave amidst a prolonged period of low rainfall. From January 1 to July 27, total nationwide precipitation was about 426 millimeters, well below the long-term average of 609 millimeters—nearly 30% less. Authorities described this as the driest comparable period since at least the early 1900s, with significant deficits in Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland.
Persistent high-pressure systems, intense sunlight, and minimal rainfall intensified evaporation, reducing soil moisture and stressing agriculture, rivers, forests, and water supplies. Austria’s climate records indicate that heatwaves have become more frequent, longer, and more intense over recent decades, with average maximum temperatures during such events rising by about three degrees from the 1980s to the 2020s. The new July temperature record adds another data point to Austria’s ongoing trend of rising extreme heat.